Group Process

The dynamic and increasingly complex world of health care often requires nurses to work collaboratively on interprofessional teams. In the group environment, individuals with unique skills and expertise come together to focus on a common goal; however, groups must become cohesive before they can become effective.

Your experiences working with groups—whether you perceive them as positive, negative, or neutral—can be used to facilitate insight and development. Health care, with its focus on interprofessional teamwork and collaboration, offers ample opportunities and an imperative for continuous learning.

For this Discussion, you focus on strategies for facilitating the group process.

To prepare:

• Review the information in this week’s Learning Resources regarding the stages of group formation, problematic roles individuals play in groups, and strategies for facilitating and maintaining positive group collaboration. In particular, review Learning Exercise 19.12 on page 464 of the course text.
• Reflect on various groups with which you have been or are currently involved. Select one specific group to analyze for the purposes of this Discussion. Identify the purpose or task that the group is or was meant to perform.
• Consider the four stages of group formation (forming, storming, norming, and performing). How would you describe the progression between stages? Is there a stage in which you believe your group is or was “stuck”?
• Consider the task or group-building role you normally play in a group setting. How could you apply the information from the Learning Resources to improve your group participation and facilitation, as well as the functioning of the group as a whole?
• In addition, think about which individuals within your group (including yourself) may fall into problematic roles such as the Dominator, the Aggressor, or the Blocker. How have you and your group members addressed the enactment of these roles and its impact on interactions? With information from the Learning Resources in mind, what strategies would you apply now or going forward?

By Day 3

Post a description of a group with which you have been or are currently involved. Assess where the group is in terms of the four stages of group formation. If you are reflecting on a past experience, explain if your group moved through all four stages. Describe the task or group-building role you typically play, or played, in this group. Then, explain what strategies you, as a leader, can apply to better facilitate the group process and address any problematic individual roles in the group.

Required Readings

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

• Chapter 19 “Organizational, Interpersonal, and Group Communication”Chapter 19 covers many aspects of the communication process, including group communication. As you read this chapter, focus on the stages of group development (forming, storming, norming, performing) and group dynamics (group task roles, group building and maintenance roles, problematic roles). Consider how you can apply these concepts as you engage in group work.

Adams, S. L., & Anantatmula, V. (2010). Social and behavioral influences on team process. Project Management Journal, 41(4), 89–98. 

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

In this article, the authors report on the effects of individual behaviors on project teams and provide a model that identifies the progress of social and behavioral development. For each stage, the authors provide recommendations for managing team members.

Chun, J. S., & Choi, J. N. (2014). Members' needs, intragroup conflict, and group performance. The Journal Of Applied Psychology, 99(3), 437–450. doi:10.1037/a0036363

This study theorizes and empirically investigates the relationships among the psychological needs of group members, intragroup conflict, and group performance.

Haynes, J., & Strickler, J. (2014). TeamSTEPPS makes strides for better communication. Nursing,44(1), 62–63. doi:10.1097/01.NURSE.0000438725.66087.89

Teamwork and communication are the focus of this article and include the use of the TeamStepps model for Quality Improvement.

Hogg, M. A., Van Knippenberg, D., & Rast, D. E., III. (2012). Intergroup leadership in organizations: Leading across group and organizational boundaries. Academy of Management Review, 37(2), 232–255.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The authors of this article introduce a theory on intergroup leadership that is based on social theory and intergroup relations. This theory purports that intergroup performance relies on a leader’s capacity to create intergroup relational identities.

Kaufman, B. (2012). Anatomy of dysfunctional working relationships. Business Strategy Series, 13(2), 102–106.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Kaufman examines the impact of dysfunctional working relationships in an organization. She provides managers with tips that will allow them to identify early warning signs of dysfunctional behavior and to minimize its effects in the workplace.

Mind Tools. (2012). Forming, storming, norming and performing: Helping new teams perform effectively, quickly. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_86.htm

This web article discusses stages of team development and provides strategies for moving through the early stages effectively.

Mind Tools. (2009). Team charters. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_95.htm